Miniature edgewise electrical indicator



May5, 1970 R. l. DINLOCKER 3,510,773

MINIATURE EDGEWISE ELECTRICAL' INDICATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15. 196e May 5, 1970 n R. DINLocKER l 3,510,773

MINIATURE EDGEWISEELECTRICAL INDICATOR Filed June 15J 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY Y* 4 T'OR/VEKS.

- May 5, 1970 R. l. DlNl-.ocKER Y 3,510,773

MINIATURE EDGEWISE LEGTRICAL INDICATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 15. 1966 May 5, y1970 R. l. DI'NLocKER 3,510,773

MINIATURE EDGEWIS'ELECTRICAL. INDICATOR Filed June 15. 196e 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 411@ i@ O5 K 07 we io! l lulillllnjllllllmmlllllun United States Patent O Int. Cl. G01r 1/00 U.S. Cl. 324-146 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a miniature electrical indicator, the supporting bracket for the meter movement has a main body portion from which a first pair of legs extend in one direction and a second pair of legs extend at right angles to them. The second pair of legs support the meter movement. The irst pair of legs extend through slots in the housing and are deformed to rigidly secure the bracket to the housing.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 322,476 iiled Nov. 8, 1963, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to electric current indicators of the type in which a permanent magnet mounted on an arbor is influenced by the liux of a surrounding coil during current flow in the latter, thereby to deflect a pointer mounted on the arbor from zero position to one side or the other, depending upon the direction of current flow in the coil.

A principal object of the invention is to provide such an indicator which may be made so small in size as to be suitable for use where space is at a premium, as in the field of computers and the field of portable appliances, where high density packaging of electronic components is essential.

It is known to employ the main housing of an indicator of the type aforesaid as the bobbin for the coil. However, this arrangement has not proved to be entirely satisfactory, because it requires assembly of the movement and the housing before the coil is wound upon the housing, in consequence of which the movement is rotated with the housing or bobbin in a winding machine while the coil is being wound. Thus the delicate movement may be damaged by centrifugal force. Accordingly, another object of the invention is to provide such an indicator with a housing which also serves as the bobbin for the coil, which coil may be wound upon the bobbin before the movement is assembled in the housing, thereby making it unnecessary to revolve the entire indicator in a winding machine.

Another object is to provide such an indicator wherein the movement is secured to the housing in an improved manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device in which a bracket is secured to the rear wall of the body of the device by crimping two legs of the bracket which extend through the rear wall of the meter in a manner such that the crimp extends into the slots in the rear wall, thereby firmly securing the bracket to the body portion of the meter. Further in accordance with the invention, the legs are each provided with two notches. These notches restrict the area of deformation due to the crimping action. This prevents stresses from traveling to other parts of the bracket which might deform such other parts of the bracket in a manner which would produce an unsatisfactory assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flag type indicator in which the pointer has a flag portion with an area which covers approximately half of the area of an indicator plate having distinctive colorings upon both sides of a reference mark so that when the meter is energized, the ag will cover a different area of the reference plate thereby changing the distinctive coloring of the reference plate as viewed by a person observing the meter.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adapter for the meter which can be secured to two legs extending through the rear wall of the meter, the adapter having two plugs for plugging into a printed circuit board so that the indicator can be energized from a source on the printed circuit board.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent when the following description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of an indicator constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective rear view of the indicator shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the indicator, with part broken away;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are horizontal and vertical sections respectively on the lines IV-IV and V-V of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the indicator;

FIG. 7 is a transverse section on line VII-VII of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the indicator;

FIG. v9 is a perspective rear view showing a preliminary stage of assembly;

FIG. 10 is similar to FIG. 9 but shows a more advanced stage of assembly;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a reference plate;

FIG. l2 shows a modified movement bracket;

FIGS. 13a and 13b show the modiiied movement bracket in place in the meter;

FIG. 14 shows a modied ag type pointer;

FIGS. 15a and 15b are front views of the meter having a flag type pointer with the meter in the energized and unenergized positions;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a portion of the meter showing a pointer stop in place;

FIG. 17 shows a pointer stop;

FIG. 18 `shows a reference plate which may be used in a -meter with a pointer stop;

FIG. 19 shows an adapter for use with a printed circuit board;

FIG. 20 shows another adapter for use with a printed circuit board;

FIG. 21 shows a crimping tool of one type which may be used in the crimping operation of this invention; and

FIGS. 22 and 23 are a front elevation and a partial bottom view of an electrical component assembled in accordance with the present invention.

The following description is directed to lthe `specific form of the invention illustrated in the drawings and is not -intended to be addressed to the scope of the invention itself, which may be practiced in other forms. The following detailed description can best be understood with reference to FIG. 8.

An electric current indicator constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a housing, generally designated 10, including a bobbin 12, preferably molded of a single body of plastic material, for example, Plexiglas. The main body of the bobbin is tubular in form and rectangular in transverse section. At one end of the main -body 14 is a rear wall 16 closing the same and providing a peripheral iiange 18 extending about the main body 14.

At the opposite end of the main body 14 is a ange 20 extending about the main body 14. Between the flanges 18 and 20 is a channel 22 extending about the main body 14 and accommodating a wire coil 23 provided with leads 25 and 27 (FIG. 9) for connection of the indicator in an electric circuit. Extending centrally across the back of the lwall 16 is a groove 24, and extending through the wall 16 are a pair of rectangular openin-gs 26 disposed respectively on opposite sides of the groove 24.

The housing also comprises a bezel, generally designated 32, preferably molded of a single body of plastic material, for example, Plexiglas. The bezel 32 is provided with an arcuate front wall area 34, flat upper and lower opposite side walls 36 and a peripherally extending flange 38 having openings 40 therein for receiving pins 31 formed integral with ange 20. The marginal portions of flanges and 38 afford a recess 30 opposed to a similar recess 28 formed on the flange 18.

Extending about the coil 23 is a shield in the form of a metallic stn'p 44, wh-ich is wrapped in a strip of tape 46. The marginal portions of the strip 44 and tape 4'6 are seated in the recesses 28 and 30'.

Within the housing 10 is a reference plate 48 (FIG. 11) provided with an arcuate section 50 and legs 52 at opposite ends thereof each terminating in a laterally bent portion 54 disposed in a recess 42 formed in the flange 20. The arcuate section 50 is set back from the front wall 34 of the bezel 32, is provided with a recess SS, and is painted in contrasting colors to provide a zero reference mark S6.

Within the housing 10 is a bracket 58 stamped from sheet metal and provided with a main body portion i60, a pair of vertically spaced legs 62 and 64 and a pair of horizontally spaced legs 66 and 68. (The legs are hor-izontally spaced as indicated in FIG. 5.)

The legs 66 and 68 are each crimped, as at 70, so as to afford a longitudinally extending area bent out of the v plane of the opposite side marginal portions of the leg.

It will be noted that the crimp rende-rs the part of the leg extending beyond the rear wall 16 U-shaped in transverse section, the overall depth of the leg being slightly greater than the width of the opening through which it passes. Thus the legs are securely wedged in the openings through which they pass, as shown.

The bracket comprises an arbor 72 having opposite end portions revolvably seated in the legs 62 and `64. Aixed to the arbor is a pointer 74 which is provided with a hooked end 76 extending through the recess 55 in the arcuate section 50 of the strip 48 and adapted to ymove back and forth over the arcuate section 50 in the space between the section 50 and the front Wall 34 of the bezel 32. Also aiiixed to the arbor, adjacent to the pointer 74, is a permanent magnet or disc 78.

Lodged in the groove 24, in the back of the wall 16, is a piece of cunife or other permanent magnet wire 80.

In the assembly of the indicator, the arbor 72, pointer 74 and pe-rmanent magnet 78 are iirst assembled and then mounted as a unit in the bracket 58 by seating the pointed ends of the arbor in suitable depressions for-med in the legs 62 and 64. As a separate operation, the bobbin 12 is revolved'in a winding machine and wire is wound thereabout to form the coil 23. The ends of the wire are connected to vthe leads and 27 and brought from the coil through openings, designated 81, in the llange 18.

Now the assembled bracket 58 is inserted as a unit into the bobbin 12, the legs y66 and 68 being projected freely through the openings 26 and then crimped to bend a longitudinally extending area of each leg out of the plane of the opposite side marginal portions of the leg so that the crimp runs into the slot through which the leg extends, causing the leg to become wedged in the plastic to make a rigid connection.

The reference plate 48 is then positioned with the hooked end of the pointer 74 extending through the recess S5 and overhanging the arcuate section `S0. The laterally bent portions 54 of the plate 48 are disposed in the recess 42. Then the bezel 32 is positioned with the holes 40 thereof receiving the pins 31, whereupon the contacting surfaces, wet with a solvent, provide a welded plastic joint.

The bobbin 12 is wrapped with the shield 44 and with tape 46.

Then the permanent magnet wire 80 is lodged in the groove 24 and suitably positioned by shifting it longitudinally to get a zero reading. When the wire is centered the poles have equal influence on the disc 78 so that there is no predominating attraction of the rotor to either pole of the w-ire. By shifting the wire in the groove 24, the pole closest to the shield in effect becomes an adjustable magnetic ground and its influence on the disc 78 can be varied. At the same time, the influence on the disc 78 of the other pole is oppositely affected. Therefore, one side of the d-isc 78 is repelled while the other is attracted. Thus the pointer is zeroed.

When the indicator is connected in an electric circuit and the circuit energized, the flux of the coil 23 reacts with that of the disc 78 and the pointer 74 is actuated against the influence of the magnet wire 80, swinging to one side or the other of the zero reference mark 56, depending upon the direction of current flow.

It will be noted that the main housing also serves as the bobbin for the holding coil. While this feature is generally old, according to the present invention the coil may be wound separately, that is, the pointer and movement need not be inside the bobbin while the bobbin is being revolved in the winding machine. r1hus there is no danger of damaging the delicate movement by centrifugal force during the winding operation. Also, if the movement proves to be defective, it can be replaced without throwing the whole assembly away.

It will also be noted that the bracket takes up a minimum amount of critical space inside the bobbin, which critical space is the space that, if occupied, would adversely alfect the coupling eliiciency between the magnetic parts.

In addition, it will be noted that the movement is staked in position by crimping in a special manner-a new concept for fastening metal parts to plastic bodies. There is no strain or distortion of the parts. If need should arise, the bracket can be removed with simple tools. No hammer blow is needed and no torque is applied to any of the parts.

It will also be noted that the means for adjusting moving magnet instruments requires practically no space.

As noted hereinbefore, the teaching of this invention provides means for devising an indicator which can be made in such small size as to be useful in a situation where space is at a high premium. The normal size of an indicator made in accordance with the invention is in the order of approximately three-eighths of an inch by threeeighths of an inch in transverse section and one-half of an inch in length. If desired, however, the indicator may be made smaller.

It has been found that when a bracket of the type 58 shown in FIG. 8 has its legs crimped to secure it to the housing, the crimping stresses often extend to the second pair of arms 62 and 64, thereby distorting their position and sometimes to an extent which unseats the arbor 72 fro-m its mounting between the arms. The modilied bracket shown in FIG. 12 prevents this distortion.

Referring now to FIG. l2, there is shown a modification of the bracket 58. The modication shown in FIG. l2 has notches in the legs, which extend through the rear wall of the meter to relieve the tension caused fby the crimping of the outer portions of legs 83 and 84.

The bracket shown in FIG. 12 includes a body portion 82 and a iirst pair of legs 83 and 84, extending therefrom,

as in the previous embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the leg 84 has notches 85 and 86 and the leg 83 has two similar notches, only the notch 87 being shown.

The bracket shown in FIG. 12 has a second pair of legs 88 and 89, which have been indented at 90 and 91 to receive the arbor. The bracket of FIG. 12 is shown in place in the housing in FIGS. l3aand 13b'. These figures depict a portion of the rear wall 16 `vvvithj the bracket of FIG. 12 in place in the slots therein. 1

When a bracket of the type shown in FIG. 12 is used, the crimping stresses may travel no further than the slots or notches 85, 86 and 87, and in any event so minimizes the stresses transmitted to the second pair of legs 88 and 89, as to prevent their change of position. Hence there is avoided the problem of an unduly loose arbor as well as the possibility of the unseating of the arbor which has previously lbeen mounted between legs 88 and 89. The use of a bracket such as that shown in FIG. l2 minimizes the number of rejects which result from the crimping operations. FIGS. 13a and 13b show the modified bracket in place in a meter of the type previously described.

Referring to FIG. 14, there is shown a modification of the meter to form a warning signal meter which will provide a clear indication of an on or off condition. More particularly, it will provide a clear indication of either the energization or the deenergization of the meter. In accordance with the FIG. 14 embodiment, the pointer 74 of FIG. 8 is replaced with a pointer 92, having a flag portion 93. The pointer 92 is mounted on the arbor 72, as in the previous embodiment. The flag portion 93 of the pointer has an area which covers approximately half of the reference plate 48 (FIG. 11).

FIGS. 15a and 15b show a front view of the meter having the flag type pointer. As shown in FIG. 15a, the

flag portion 93 covers approximately half of the reference plate which would otherwise be visible through the transparent opening in bezel 32. As shown, the flag portion 93 is painted white and the portion of the reference plate 48 to the left of reference mark 56 is painted white. Therefore, in the unenergized condition of the meter as shown in FIG. 15a, the viewer will observe an all white reference plate.

When the meter is energized, the fiag portion 93 is moved to the left, as is shown in FIG. 15b. When the meter is in its energized condition, as is shown in FIG. 15b, the red portion of reference plate 48, which red portion lies to the right of reference mark 56, is visible, thereby providing prominent warning to the viewer.

While the flag type warning meter has been described in conjunction with an embodiment in which the meter shows red when energized, it will be understood that it could equally well be adapted to show a red portion when deenergized, thereby indicating an absence of energizing voltage.

FIGS. 16, 17 and 18 show a modification of the invention utilizing a pointer stop to limit the movement of the pointer between the two extremes. In the previously described embodiment, the movement of the pointer was limited by the reference plate. Referring to FIG. 11, the vertical edges 94 and 95 of the recess 5S stop the pointer at the desired limits of travel in that embodiment. Under some circumstances, such an arrangement is undesirable because it requires a large recess in the reference plate, thereby cutting down the visible viewing area of the reference plate.

To overcome this disadvantage, a separate pointer stop 96 is provided. This pointer stop is shown in FIG. 17 and is shown in place in FIG. 16. FIG. 16 shows the same view of the meter as shown in FIG. 4, ibut with the pointer stop in place. In this case the pointer is limited in its travel by the edges 97 and 98 of the pointer stop 96. The limits of travel of pointer 74 are shown dotted in FIG. 16.

Another advantage of using a separate pointer stop 96 is that under some circumstances, if the pointer is allowed to travel to the edges of the recess in the reference plate,

it may stick on the paint on the reference plate. By providing a separate pointer stop 96, such hang-up of the pointer is avoided.

The pointer stop 96 is assembled by snapping it into the recess 42 in the housing. The pointer stop is, of course, inserted prior to placing the reference plate in the recess 42. When a separate pointer Stop 96 is used, a reference plate of the type shown in FIG. 18 may be used. This reference plate 99 has only a small recess, which is barely large enough for the pointer to pass through. A reference plate of the type shown in FIG. 18

is sometimes preferable over the one shown in FIG. 11, by reason of presenting a larger viewing area.

Referring to FIG. 19, there is shown one type of adapter which may be used to secure and electrically connect the indicator to a printed circuit board. In FIG. 19, the adapter 100 includes a body of dielectric material having two sides and four edges. A recess 101 extends through the two sides. The legs 83 and 84 of the meter are positioned in tight-fitting relationship in the recess 101 to firmly secure the adapter to the meter. The coil leads 102 and 103 extend through holes in the adapter, which holes are positioned at locations generally indicated at 104 and 10S. The leads are soldered to electrical conductors 106 and 107, which are electrically connected to the plugs 108 and 109. The plugs 108 and 109 may be inserted into a socket in the printed circuit board so that the meter is mounted in an upright position and is electrically connected to a source on the printed circuit board.

The adapter shown in FIG. 20 is provided for mounting the meter in a sideways position on the printed circuit board. The adapter 110 has a recess at 111. The legs 83 and 84 are respectively disposed in tight-fitting relationship against the sides 112 and 113 of the recess 111. The coil leads 114 and 115 are soldered to electrical conductors 116 and 117. These electrical conductors are connected to two plugs 118 and 119, which, in this embodiment, are disposed on one of the edges of the adapter. When the plugs 118 and 119 are inserted into a receptacle on the printed circuit board, the meter will be mounted in a sideways position on the board and will be electrically connected to a source on the printed circuit board.

FIG. 2l shows one type of crimping tool which may be used to make the crimp 70 in each of the legs 66 and 68. The leg is pressed between the teeth of the tool, one of which has a concave surface and one of which has a convex surface. When pressure is applied to the tool, the sheet metal will be deformed between the teeth of the tool and, most importantly, the defermation introduced in this manner will travel along the legs into the slots 26 of the main body portion. In this manner, the legs will be wedged securely in the slots 26.

FIGS. 22 and 23 depict another type of device to which the crimping technique of this invention has application. There is shown in FIG. 22 a capacitor 120 having two electrical leads 121 and 122. These electrical leads are formed of sheet metal in a manner similar to the legs of the bracket previously described. The leads 121 and 122 are inserted through slots in the mounting board 123. The leads are then crimped, as previously described, to securely fasten the capacitor 120 to the mountin board 123.

What is claimed is:

1. A sub-miniature meter comprising:

a housing for the meter-movement and also forming a bobbin for the operating coil, said housing having:

a tubular member within which the meter-movement is to be supported,

one end of said tubular member having a flange,

the other end of said tubular member having a rear wall closing the same and extending beyond the limits of the tubular member to form a second ange,

the space between said flanges providing for the winding of the operating coil therebetween,

said wall in the region encompassed by said tubular member having a pair of slots therein, and

a supporting bracket for the meter-movement having:

a main body portion from which a first pair of legs extend through said slots of said wall,

a second pair of legs at right angles to said first pair of legs extending forwardly in said tubular member, said second pair of legs having means for supporting a meter-movement therebetween,

said first pair of legs being deformed in the region beyond the outer face of said wall with a part of the deformation extending into said slots tightly to hold the body portion of the bracket against the inner face of said wall and for the mounting of the meter-movement in rigid position within said tubular member.

2. The sub-miniature meter of claim 1 in which said deformation of said first pair of legs comprises:

a crimp in each leg is a direction outwardly from their opposing faces into arcuate shapes which extend from the outer face of said wall inwardly into wedging relationship with the wall portions of said slots.

3. The sub-miniature meter of claim 2 in which said second pair of legs are isolated from forces of magnitude adequate to cause movement thereof due to the stresses developed in said first pair of legs during the crimping thereof comprising:

notches extending inwardly from the edge portions of said first pair of legs in the center of each of said legs.

4. The sub-miniature meter of claim 1 in which one of said flanges is provided with a circumferential ledge adjacent its outer extremity at the same radial distance from the center of said tubular portion as the terminating surface of said second flange, and a magnetic shielding element supported by both said ledge and said second flange.

5. The sub-miniature meter of claim 1 in which said one end of said tubular member is provided with a pair of opposed ledges,

means including an arcuate reference plate supported on said opposed ledges, said reference plate being of a resilient material whereby said reference plate may be pressed together to hold the edges thereof against said opposed ledges,

said reference plate having a cutout portion extending throughout an intermediate portion thereof through which a pointer supported by a meter-movement may extend, said means supported on said opposed ledges including stop elements for limiting the travel of the pointer from one extreme dellecting positio to the other.

l6. The sub-miniature meter of claim 1 in which the meter-movement includes:

a permanent magnet mounted on an arbor supported between said first pair of legs within said tubular member and inside of the operating coil, and

an elongated permanent magnet carried by said wall with the axis of said elongated magnet extending parallel to the rotational axis of said arbor to predetermine the zero position of said meter-movement.

7. The sub-miniature meter of claim 6 in which said rear wall has a recess extending parallel to said axis of rotation of said arbor for receiving said elongated magnet,

said elongated magnet being adjustable lengthwise of said recess for Calibrating said meter as to zero position, and

means for securing in fixed position said elongated magnet.

8. The sub-miniature meter of claim 1 in which said flange at the open end of said tubular member has extending from its outer face a pair of projections,

a bezel having a central transp-arent section for viewing said meter-movement and terminating in a circumferential flange,

said flange having openings to receive said projections to center said bezel on said flange of said tubular member, and

an adhesive interposed between the flange of said bezel and said flange of said tubular member for securing the same and for establishing a unitary support between them.

9. The sub-miniature meter of claim 8 in which said tubular member, its flanges, and said bezel are of a plastic material, and in which said adhesive comprises a solvent for said plastic material for adhesion between the two and supporting them in space.

10. The sub-miniature meter of claim 1 in which said flange forming a part of said wall has openings extending through adjacent portions thereof,

lead lines extending through said openings and connected to the respective ends of the operating coil, and

means for securing said lead lines in place to prevent mechanical strain on said coil.

1l. A sub-miniature meter comprising:

a housing of dielectric material having:

a tubular bobbin portion,

a rear Wall closing one end of said tubular bobbin portion,

said rear wall having two slots therein,

said rear wall having a first peripheral flange portion extending about said tubular bobbin portion,

said tubular bobbin portion being open at the other end,

said other end having a second peripheral flange extending about said tubular bobbin portion,

an electric coil wound around said tubular bobbin portion between said first and second peripheral flanges and adapted to be connected to an energizing source,

a bracket having:

a main body portion,

a first pair of spaced legs extending from said main body portion and lying in rst and second planes,

a second pair of spaced legs extending from said main body portion in the opposite direction from said first pair of spaced legs and lying in third and fourth planes, said third and fourth planes being perpendicular to said first and second planes,

an arbor rotatably mounted between said second pair of spaced legs and within said tubular bobbin portion,

a rotary permanent magnet mounted on said arbor,

a pointer mounted 0n said arbor, f

said first pair of spaced legs of said bracket being disposed in the pair of slots in said rear wall after assembly of said arbor between said second pair of spaced legs, and

a bezel mounted over said open other end of said tubular bobbin portion after mounting said bracket with said first pair of legs disposed in said slots, said bezel having a transparent section for viewing the movement of said pointer upon energization of said coil from an external source.

12. The meter recited in claim 11 and a reference plate having a reference mark mounted under said bezel and wherein said pointer includes a flag portion having an area approximately covering half of the area of said reference plate, saidreference plate having one distinctive coloring on one side of said reference mark and a different distinctive coloring on the other side of said reference mark, said ag area of said pointer having one of said distinctive colorings so that when said meter is energized said flag area moves across said reference plate to change the distinctive coloring viewed through the transparent portion of said bezel.

13. The sub-miniature meter of claim h1 in which said other end of said tubular portion is provided with a pair of opposed ledges,

means including an arcuate reference plate supported on said opposed ledges, said reference plate being of a resilient material whereby said reference plate may be pressed together to hold the edges thereof against said opposed ledges,

said reference plate having a cutout portion extending throughout an intermediate portion thereof through which a pointer supported by a meter-movement may extend, said means supported on said opopsed ledges including stop elements for limiting the travel of the pointer from one extreme deflecting position to the other.

14. The sub-miniature meter of claim 1'1 in which the meter-movement includes:

a permanent magnet mounted on an arbor supported between said first pair of legs within said tubular member and inside ofthe operating coil, and

an elongated permanent magnet carried by said wall with the axis of said elongated magnet extending parallel to the rotational axis of said arbor to predetermine the zero position of said meter-movement.

15. The sub-miniature meter of claim 14 in which said rear wall has a recess extending parallel to said axis of rotation of said arbor for receiving said elongated magnet,

said elongated magnet being adjustable lengthwise of said recess for Calibrating said meter as to zero position, and

means for securing in xed position said elongated magnet.

16. 'The sub-miniature meter of claim 11 in which said second ange at the open end of said tubular portion has extending from its outer face a pair of projections,

a bezel having a central transparent section for viewing said meter-movement and terminating in a circumferential ilange,

said last-named flange having openings to receive said projections to center said bezel on said flange of said tubular member, and

an adhesive interposed between the ange of said bezel and said ange of said tubular member for securing the same and for establishing a unitary support between them.

17. The sub-miniature meter of claim 16 in which said tubular portion, its anges, and said bezel area of a plastic material, and in which said adhesive comprises a solvent for said plastic material for adhesion between the two and supporting them in space.

18. The sub-miniature meter of claim 11 in which said flange forming a part of said wall has openings extending through adjacent portions thereof,

lead lines extending through said openings and connected to the respective ends of the operating coil, and

means for securing said lead lines in place to prevent mechanical strain on said coil.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,493,376 1/1950 Zar 324-146 X 3,298,351 1/1967 Koza 324-156 X 2,968,000 1/ 1961 Pfeifer 324-146 3,200,332 8/ 1965 Pfeffer 324-146 ALFRED E. SMITH, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 

